One teacher was on the sidelines as a cheerleader when Westerville South’s basketball team won the state championship in 2016. Another is fulfilling a middle school dream of returning to the district to teach in the community that raised her. And another is in the second act of his career — first in finance, now in education as a middle school history teacher — to give back to the Westerville community.
This year, a dozen of the 47 new educators are returning to the site that inspired them to pursue a career in education. They were athletes, student council leaders, class representatives, choir, and band members.
They left a Westerville graduate. Now, they are a Westerville teacher.
Meet some of the Westerville alumni who’ve returned to the district as an educator this year.
FANA ABRAHA
North, Class of 2009
Also attended: McVay Elementary, Walnut Springs and Blendon middle schools
High school activities/sports/awards/milestones: Cheerleading, track & field, student council, Rotary Interact club treasurer, senior class secretary (I plan our class reunions with my fellow class officers. We had our 10-year reunion last summer!)
Degree/College: Psychology, Xavier University; K-12 Intervention Specialist Mild/Moderate/Intensive Licensure, Ashland University. Currently working on a master’s of Education.
Where you can find her: Cherrington Elementary, intervention specialist in the Autism unit
Why did you decide to go into teaching? Was there a Westerville teacher who inspired you to pursue teaching?
I have always had a strong desire to help students and make a positive impact on the lives of others. I have a passion for helping students attain knowledge and skills that will not only help them be successful in the classroom but also outside of the classroom. I had wonderful educators throughout my years in Westerville. Each one of them had a positive impact on me as a student, and continue to influence me as an educator today. In addition to being inspired by my Westerville educators, my time working in the North Pointe program at Westerville North also inspired me to pursue my Intervention Specialist license.
Why did you want to return to Westerville to teach?
I would not be where I am today without the educators, mentors, and opportunities that Westerville provided me. I want to continue to give back to the Westerville community and provide a quality education, like the one I was given.
What are you looking forward to as you start this new chapter at Westerville?
I am looking forward to meeting my students and watching them grow and learn throughout the year!
MAGGIE BARTON
Central, Class of 2014
High school activities/sports/awards/milestones: Activities, choir. I was a nerd so I remember getting academic awards, but I don't remember what they were called.
Degree/College: Middle Childhood Education, The Ohio State University
Where you can find her: Walnut Springs Middle School, seventh-grade English Language Arts; Genoa Middle School, sixth-grade Literacy Skills and Career Exploration
Why did you decide to go into teaching? Was there a Westerville teacher who inspired you to pursue teaching?
I decided to go into teaching because I wanted to be in a field where I was helping people and making a difference in someone's life. I have always loved working with young people, especially middle schoolers. It is so fun to watch them grow into young adults. I love the unpredictability that comes with teaching and the ability I have to be creative in my workplace. There is never a boring day with middle schoolers and I always find myself laughing at the funny things they say. I know that middle school is a difficult time for a lot of people. Everything is changing and students are trying to figure out who they want to be. It's so rewarding to get to play a role in helping students navigate this time in their life whether they need help academically or need advice about the middle school drama.
I loved all of my high school English teachers. I had Mr. Mahoney for freshman year, Mrs. King for sophomore year, Mr. Park for junior year, and Mr. Paynter for senior year.
Mr. Park I think inspires me the most. I remember one day he came into school and told us that he stayed up until 3 a.m. giving us feedback on our essays so that we had time to better prepare for our AP test at the end of the year. He always took the time to conference with us individually and took the time to write so many college recommendation letters. I hope that I am able to be as kind and committed to my students as he is. I also feel like I need to give Mr. Mahoney a shout out. He was probably the funniest teacher I ever had. “To Kill a Mockingbird” is still one of my favorite books and we read it in his class.
Why did you want to return to Westerville to teach?
After living in Columbus for the last six years and being away from Westerville, I have realized how great of a place it is to live. I wanted to be a part of the Westerville community again. I also love that the school district seems to be growing in diversity. I think that there is so much added to a community when there are people a part of it who are from different backgrounds.
What are you looking forward to as you start this new chapter at Westerville?
I am looking forward to getting to teach English. I taught math last year, but my preference is definitely English. I am also looking forward to getting to know my students and building relationships. I am excited about the prospect of having friends' siblings or old neighbors in my classes as well. It is fun to come back to Westerville and have some of those connections already be there.
DANIEL BICHSEL
North, Class of 2012
Also attended: Mark Twain Elementary, Walnut Springs Middle School
High school activities/sports/awards/milestones: All-Conference in football and lacrosse. Scholarship to play lacrosse in college.
Degree/College: Bachelor’s degrees in Adolescent to Young Adult Education Social Studies degree and History, Master’s in Business Administration at Lourdes University.
Where you can find him: Walnut Springs and Blendon middle schools, Global Game Changers, an eighth-grade elective course. Coaching boys lacrosse at North and football at Walnut Springs.
Why did you decide to go into teaching? Was there a Westerville teacher who inspired you to pursue teaching?
I decided to get into teaching because I wanted to be able to give back and wanted to help young adults grow and mature into their own selves. The teacher that really inspired me to pursue teaching would be Chris Poynter. Mr. Poynter was my health and physical education teacher in high school as well as freshmen football coach. His ability to build relationships with students and would always find a way to make learning fun and interactive is something I want students to remember from my class. Mr. Poynter always puts the students first. He truly cares about the success of each student not just in the classroom but in life as well. He has checked up on me multiple times while I was going through college. He is someone that will be completely honest with you and I always felt comfortable asking him questions because I knew I was going to get a truthful answer and not just something I wanted to hear. I aspire to be half an educator he was and still is someday. A fun story about Mr. Poynter: My buddy Logan and I were playing Mr. Poynter in an ultimate tennis match. Mr. Poynter was getting married in the upcoming days. We were battling back and forth and Mr. Poynter caught a tennis ball right in the eye. He may have had a black eye for his wedding but it just goes to show what kind of teacher he was. No matter the circumstances he was focused on the students and building relationships.
Why did you want to return to Westerville to teach?
I came back to Westerville to teach because I love the Westerville community. I wanted to be able to give back to a community that has given me so much. I always say Westerville is like a big little town. It is a big city but everyone really knows everyone because it is such an active community.
What are you looking forward to as you start this new chapter at Westerville?
I am really excited to build relationships with my students and athletes. It will also be interesting to be on the other side of the table and seeing all teachers become people that I am now working with. I coach football at Walnut Springs and lacrosse at Westerville North so I am excited to get on the field with those players and win some games.
ALEX CHAPMAN
South, Class of 2015
Also attended: Annehurst Elementary, Heritage Middle School
Activities/sports/awards/milestones: Band, orchestra and Key Club
Degree/College: Music Education, Ohio Northern University
Where you can find him: Pointview Elementary, general music
Why did you decide to go into teaching? Was there a Westerville teacher who inspired you to pursue teaching?
I decided to go into teaching due to all the positive experiences that came from my involvement in the music programs at Westerville City Schools. One of the things that inspired my passion for learning about music came from attending great live performances. In high school, Mr. Mark Stevens provided opportunities for students to see both the Cleveland Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony. One of my biggest influences as an educator is my high school band director, Mr. John Laswell. Mr. Laswell is also a graduate from Ohio Northern University. I am very grateful for the guidance he has provided me over the years. As a senior in high school wanting to pursue a degree in music education, Mr. Laswell helped me establish a connection with my future college professors. While I was in college, Mr. Laswell came to ONU to give a presentation to the Ohio Collegiate Music Education Association chapter. He has continued to offer me guidance in my first year of teaching and now in my new journey at Pointview. I am thankful for all the advice and support my former teachers have given me and I am excited to share it all with my future students for many years to come.
Why did you want to return to Westerville to teach?
I am very excited to return to Westerville and teach this year. Westerville has been my home my whole life and I am excited to continue my professional career here. It is a dream come true to work with the teachers that inspired me growing up. I also have three younger siblings in the district that I am excited to cheer on at their concerts and games!
What are you looking forward to as you start this new chapter at Westerville?
I am looking forward to the start of the school year. I know that this year is going to be filled with new challenges, but I am excited to meet and connect with the students and their families.
GREG COTTERMAN
North, Class of 1989
Also attended: Walnut Springs Middle School
Activities/sports/awards/milestones: Cross Country and all things music!
Degree/College: Music, Capital University; Finance, Franklin University; Education, Ashland University
Where you can find him: Genoa and Heritage middle schools, eighth-grade history and Global Game Changers
Why did you decide to go into teaching? Was there a Westerville teacher who inspired you to pursue teaching?
After spending 20 years working in accounting and investments, I wanted to split my career into two acts and give back to the community. I loved history classes with Mr. Kirchhoff and Mr. Snouffer. I just saw Mr. Kirchhoff last year at the Ohio Historical Society and I still see Mr. Snouffer regularly (I graduated with his nephew who is one of my closest friends).
Why did you want to return to Westerville to teach?
Even though my wife and I live in Worthington, we both graduated from Westerville North (Kelly is an SLP with the district). I came to Genoa to student teach and immediately felt like part of the Westerville community again.
What are you looking forward to as you start this new chapter at Westerville?
I spent three years coaching middle school golf in Worthington and I love working with kids this age. I found middle school to be a difficult time personally, and kids at this age need to know they have adults in their corner.
JUSTICE CRANK
South, Class of 2016
Also attended: Hawthorne Elementary, Heritage Middle School
Activities/sports/awards/milestones: During my senior year, I was a varsity cheerleader when South’s basketball team won the state championship!
Degree/College: Education with a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Endorsement, Miami University
Where you can find her: Pointview Elementary, first grade
Why did you decide to go into teaching? Was there a Westerville teacher who inspired you to pursue teaching?
Ever since I was in Mrs. Holloway’s kindergarten class, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher. Between my second and third grade year, I was accepted into Hanby but told my parents that I wanted to stay at Hawthorne because I just “knew” that I would have Mrs. Green as my third-grade teacher. Thankfully I did end up having Mrs. Green because she was such an inspiration to me not only to be a teacher but to be a better person.
Why did you want to return to Westerville to teach?
Coming back to Westerville was never my plan. I went to school in Oxford and did a lot of field placements and student teaching in the Cincinnati area. I was sure I would relocate after graduating. This past January I interviewed with Dr. Hopkins, took a tour of the ELC, and just felt like Westerville was calling me home. From my almost hour conversation with him to walking around the office and meeting various leaders, I knew that Westerville was where I belonged.
What are you looking forward to as you start this new chapter at Westerville?
I cannot wait to reconnect with my past teachers. Every single one of them left a lasting impact on me and I would love to spend time with them to learn more about their pedagogy. I don’t know if I could ever recreate the educational experience that they made for me but I would least like to just sit down with them to say thank you.
SAMANTHA DIXON
Attended North
Also attended: Walnut Springs Middle School, one year at Westerville North
Activities/sports/awards/milestones: I ran track in middle school!
Degree/College: Middle Childhood Education math and science, Ohio University
Where you can find her: Blendon Middle School, seventh-grade science
Why did you decide to go into teaching? Was there a Westerville teacher who inspired you to pursue teaching?
I decided to go into teaching because I love mentoring and hanging out with middle schoolers, as well as I had great teachers at Westerville who shared a passion with me for teaching and learning. There was a couple at Walnut Springs named the Palumbos, Mrs. Palumbo taught math and Mr. Palumbo taught science. They were some of my favorite teachers during my time and inspired me to teach math and science!
Why did you want to return to Westerville to teach?
I loved my time at Westerville and heard great things from neighbors that worked in Westerville City Schools!
What are you looking forward to as you start this new chapter at Westerville?
I am excited to start this year with all the other WCS staff. I know this year may look different but I can't wait to make the most of my first year!!!!
ALISA FRANKLIN
North, Class of 1997
Also attended: Central College, Emerson and Robert Frost elementaries; Heritage Middle School
Activities/sports/awards/milestones: Varsity volleyball and basketball, OCC Co-player of the year volleyball, part of the OCC and district championships with the volleyball program.
Degree/College: Physical Education and Health, Lee University; Master’s in General Education, Marygrove University
Where you can find her: Pointview and Hawthorne elementaries, K-5 physical education
Why did you decide to go into teaching?
I come from a teaching family — my parents, grandparents, aunt, and uncle were all teachers. I grew up listening to all of the teacher discussions around the dinner table. Some of the best memories I have are spending spring break with my aunt who taught first grade for 40 years. She would take me to her classroom. I would get to teach reading groups, help with art projects, work with students, and grade papers.
Was there a Westerville teacher who inspired you to pursue teaching?
Mr. Justice was my elementary PE teacher. I loved coming to his class at Robert Frost. It was amazing. He created unbelievable units. I remember swinging across the gym on rings, riding a zip line, climbing a cargo net, and roller skating in class. When you walked into the gym, you just got excited to see the activity laid out on the gym floor. My favorite units were gymnastics, roller skating, and field day. To this day I still use his teacher water balloon drop when I create an old-fashioned field day.
Why did you want to return to Westerville to teach?
Westerville is where I grew up. I had amazing opportunities and I want to help students get to enjoy some of the same experiences.
NICOLE GARCIA
South, Class of 2013
Also attended: Whittier Elementary, Genoa Middle School
Activities/sports/awards/milestones: Soccer
Degree/College: Early/Middle Childhood Studies, The Ohio State University; Early Childhood Education license, Capital University.
Where you can find her: McVay Elementary, first grade
Was there a Westerville teacher who inspired you to pursue teaching?
Amy Clifton has inspired me to go into teaching. I have known Amy since I was in kindergarten. I began volunteering in her classroom during my freshman year of high school and had the opportunity to student teach with her. I learned the importance of being there for students, building relationships, and meeting students where they are. My passion for helping students learn grew in her classroom. I hope to inspire my students in the ways she has done for me. She has become more than a teacher to me; She is a colleague, a mentor, and a forever friend.
Why did you want to return to Westerville to teach?
I wanted to return back to Westerville to be a part of the community that gave me so much from a young age. Each and every teacher I interacted with throughout K-12 has impacted me in some way. They went beyond teaching me academics, they taught me about myself. I want to inspire students to follow their dreams the way the teachers in Westerville did to me.
What are you looking forward to as you start this new chapter at Westerville?
As I begin my teaching career in Westerville, I look forward to reconnecting with some of my past teachers. I also am looking forward to creating new relationships with my colleagues and teammates. I know I will do a lot of learning and growing this year!
RACHEL STRAPP (LONG)
North, Class of 2015
Also attended: Mark Twain Elementary, Walnut Springs Middle School
Degree/College: Early Childhood Education, The Ohio State University
Where you can find her: Cherrington Elementary, fourth grade
Why did you decide to go into teaching? Was there a Westerville teacher who inspired you to pursue teaching?
I have always wanted to be a teacher. My mom is a fifth-grade teacher at Annehurst - Dee Stewart (Shenefield), so I was raised by helping her set up her classroom each summer and seeing what it was like to be a teacher. While there weren't any specific teachers that inspired me to become one, there are some teachers that I aspire to be like! Julie Chance, Lynn Yoho, and Sharon Owens showed me what it was like to be a student that felt loved, appreciated, and listened to.
Why did you want to return to Westerville to teach?
Growing up in Westerville since the age of two makes this place truly feel like home. It has been my goal since middle school to come back and teach in the community that raised me.
What are you looking forward to as you start this new chapter at Westerville?
I am so excited to be teaching, coaching, and living all in the same area. I am eager to build new relationships and work alongside the people I grew up learning from.
MADALYN TOOLE
Central, Class of 2015
Also attended: McVay and Alcott elementaries, Genoa Middle School
Activities/sports/awards/milestones: Lacrosse (key returning player, scholarship), cheerleading (Junior year our football team went to states) including competition cheer, ski club, art club and Arts Alive.
Degree/College: Art Education, Kent State University
Where you can find her: Hanby and Emerson elementaries, visual arts
Why did you decide to go into teaching? Was there a Westerville teacher who inspired you to pursue teaching?
I decided to go into teaching because of my love and passion for art and kids. So what better career is there than a visual arts teacher! (A perfect combination of both.)
As for a Westerville teacher who inspired me to pursue a career in teaching, there are actually three special teachers at Westerville Central who inspired me beyond words. They are Jen Kiko, Jo Yarano, and Derrick Ehlen!
Why did you want to return to Westerville to teach?
This question is a weird one to answer because I never thought in my mind that I would have the opportunity to come back and teach here in Westerville. So, the way I think about this is that the pages aligned perfectly for me and I feel like I am at home again!
What are you looking forward to as you start this new chapter at Westerville?
Things I am looking forward to in this new chapter within Westerville is to continue making my mark within this town, inspiring young minds on the way art impacts our community, and to show COVID-19 that “you can't stop us!"